A Lifelong Devotion to Pinot Noir
Dr. William “Rusty” Gaffney, a retired ophthalmologist, has had a love affair with Pinot Noir for over 50 years. After retiring from medicine in 2002, he devoted his energies to writing the PinotFile at princeofpinot.com, an online newsletter that was the first wine publication dedicated exclusively to domestic Pinot Noir. He retired a second time in January 2023, leaving a legacy of 576 issues of the PinotFile. The PinotFile website remains accessible to pinophiles in perpetuity.
Over the years, upon Rusty’s urgings, several die-hard Cabernet Sauvignon drinkers developed a preference for Pinot Noir. They would remark, “Rusty, you are a prince for introducing me to Pinot Noir.” The moniker stuck, and his title became “Prince of Pinot.”
Prince of Pinot
The nickname became more than a compliment — it evolved into an identity. What began as friendly admiration from newly converted Pinot lovers turned into a title recognized throughout the Pinot Noir community: “Prince of Pinot.” Over time, it came to symbolize not only his passion for the grape, but also his tireless dedication to education, research, and the global promotion of Pinot Noir.
Global Ambassador, Researcher, and Author
Rusty has traveled to every major Pinot Noir-producing region in the world and has frequently visited California and Oregon wine regions. He has led wine tours, organized wine tastings and wine-themed dinners, served as a judge in wine competitions, been an invited speaker at Pinot Noir seminars, and corresponded on Pinot Noir for the popular wine podcast, Grape Radio. He was a contributor to Grape Vision, a video-driven offspring of Grape Radio that won a James Beard Award for a video on the Russian River Valley. Rusty wrote several historically significant articles on Pinot Noir for the Oregon Wine Press.
As a physician, Rusty became interested in research on the health benefits of moderate wine consumption, wrote extensively about this subject in the PinotFile, and lectured to winery principals on this topic. He is a longstanding and founding member of The Renaud Society.
After retiring for the second time, Rusty has written five books on Pinot Noir:
- “Oregon Pinot Noir: Who Planted First?”
- “Solving the Mystery of the Coury Clone. Over 50 Years of Conjecture to Discover an Answer.”
- “Pinot Noir Suitcase “Clone 828″: An Intriguing History Revealed.”
- “Drinking California Pinot Noir History from Old Vine Vineyards.”
- “Drinking Oregon Pinot Noir History from Old Vine Vineyards.”
The WTA team and all admirers of the Pinot Noir variety are grateful to Dr. William “Rusty” Gaffney for his many years of work. A special thank-you is also due for providing free access to The PinotFile, a treasure trove of information about this remarkable grape and its transformations across the world’s terroirs.
